True Blood vs Breaking Bad

This isn’t a competition. True Blood is a little bit of lint compared to Breaking Bad’s homemade apple pie. I just caught up on the latest episode of Breaking Bad, “Problem Dog,” tonight (holy SH*T what an episode!!). I finished season 3 of True Blood last night (season 4 is currently airing, but I don’t have premium channels).

Some thoughts on True Blood, first the good (warning, spoilers). Still a cool universe, I actually like how they have been incorporating more supernatural characters; werewolves (and a werepanther!), fairies, witches, etc. I absolutely love the characters of Eric and Jessica (who is criminally under-used) who are both fascinating and in my opinion the best actor and actress on the show. Though to be honest, acting isn’t the show’s strongest point. I enjoyed the main story this year (Russel vs the Queen and then vs The Authority) much more than season 2. And I dug the finale where Bill’s true intentions (or at least initial intentions) are revealed by a Eric (with the awesome line to Pam, “I have given him a much worse punishment”).

Now my problems with True Blood:

- They need to kill Tara off. None of her plot lines have worked for me. I don’t buy her as an actress, her actions baffle me. She just doesn’t work.

- Speaking of not working…there were way way too many different story lines in season 3. Somehow even worse than season 2. It was like sitting down to dinner and just being served appetizers…which is alright, but I was expecting a steak and dessert too. Maybe if all of the different story lines were compelling (something Lost was able to pull off much better) it wouldn’t bother me. But there were too many I didn’t care about. Obviously Tara. But also Lafayette. I just didn’t buy it. Sam’s story line was pretty lame too until the finale. Even Sookie annoyed me this season.

- The acting has never been great, so that’s nothing new…but the story was way muddy, too many minor characters getting a lot of episode time…it only made the acting more glaring (ugh, Hoyt).

But I’ll be back for season 4, cause despite its flaws, there is still a lot here.

One huge thing S3 of True Blood had going against it this time was that I watched it concurrently with season 4 of Breaking Bad. The differences are glaring. Breaking Bad is 1,500 thread count Egyptian Cotton. It’s intricately designed, every scene has purpose and carries weight. Most importantly, there is no letdown on acting. I’m even on board with Skyler now, she has been great the past season and a half. It’s impressive that when a scene ends, regardless of who was in it, I am left wanting more of that character. Jesse, Walt, Mike, Gus, Hank are the usual suspects. But it extends to Walt Jr., Saul, Gus, and really any recurring character.

*Spoilers

I have to talk about Breaking Bad…and the most recent episode Problem Dog.” So many flawless scenes; Gus, Hank, and Walt Jr at Los Pollos. Hank cleverly getting his fingerprints, Gus setting himself up for more leverage on Walt and Hank by offering Walt Jr a job whenever he wants one. Skyler realizing more and more she has made a mistake and is in over her head (the fake peck with Walt at the car wash to keep up appearances with Marie was fantastically awkward). Even the beginning scene where Walt gets to be Walt, no Gus controlling him or Skyler emasculating him. Jesse stealing the episode when he goes off at the AA meeting. Hank nailing his scene when he outlines his idea that Gus might be Heisenberg to the DEA. WAIT, AND…

…THOUGHT that started screaming to me during this scene with the DEA…Gus has to have a higher-up in the DEA in his pocket…right? I mean RIGHT???

Breaking Bad has always done a masterful job of setting up the dominos during the first part of each season, then tipping them over halfway through and letting things fall the way they are destined too (funny parallel to Lost in how much both of these shows are pre-destined to an end. The characters can not escape it.). I mean, we have half a season left, and we have the following: Walt vs Gus, DEA vs Walt, Gus vs DEA, Hank vs Gus (and potentially Walt if/when he finds out who Heisenberg REALLY is), Jesse vs Everyone (Gus, Mike, Walt, himself), Hank vs DEA (if I’m right about a higher up being in Gus’s pocket), Mexican Cartel vs Gus and Mike.

The dominos are falling, enjoy the show!